Motorists put their feet down over controversial traffic islands in Sutton Common Road

Fuming motorists are rallying against Sutton Council to remove controversial traffic islands on their road.

People living in Sutton Common Road claim to have seen a huge surge in accidents since the islands were added earlier this year.

Motorists have to veer around the islands, causing them to reduce their speed and drive more carefully.

But residents report motorists often have near-misses after failing to swerve round the islands in time.

Three weeks ago an elderly woman crashed into one of the islands, and smashed into a Toyota parked on the side of the road.

The incident took place opposite number 468 Sutton Common Road where the islands are based.

Barry Hills, 59, who owns the Toyota, said: "It is lucky the car was there, because otherwise the woman could have gone straight through someone’s garden wall.

"The house there, children often play in that garden, so the consequences could have been a lot worse.

"There were not accidents here before the traffic islands, but now they have been built there are accidents all the time.

"Everyone around here wants them gone, drivers are grazing their tyres on them all the time."

Prospective parliamentary candidate Paul Scully, who will run to be a conservative MP for Sutton and Cheam next year, will be carrying out a survey along the whole of Sutton Common Road in the next couple of weeks.

The survey will ask people living there if they think the islands should be removed.

A spokesman for Sutton Council said: "The three traffic islands and central road markings were put in following a number of accidents along Sutton Common Road between A24 to A217, in which 27 people were injured.

"The accidents were due to loss of control, overtaking, and lack of awareness of hazards such as junctions.

"They discourage overtaking and reducing speeds. Our resources are limited so these projects are carefully considered from the start.

Comments

adrianshort
11:00am Sat 16 Aug 14

If you can't get past these static and very visible islands without scuffing your tyres, let alone crashing into them, then you're not safe to be on the road. Hand back your driving licence and make the rest of us safer. The islands aren't moving towards you. You're moving towards them. If you can't dodge them, reduce your speed until you can.

What these drivers are saying is that these islands make it hard to do 40 in a 30 zone. Well yes, that's the whole point of them.

If you can't get past these static and very visible islands without scuffing your tyres, let alone crashing into them, then you're not safe to be on the road. Hand back your driving licence and make the rest of us safer. The islands aren't moving towards you. You're moving towards them. If you can't dodge them, reduce your speed until you can.
What these drivers are saying is that these islands make it hard to do 40 in a 30 zone. Well yes, that's the whole point of them.adrianshort

If you can't get past these static and very visible islands without scuffing your tyres, let alone crashing into them, then you're not safe to be on the road. Hand back your driving licence and make the rest of us safer. The islands aren't moving towards you. You're moving towards them. If you can't dodge them, reduce your speed until you can.

What these drivers are saying is that these islands make it hard to do 40 in a 30 zone. Well yes, that's the whole point of them.

Score: 27

RP_CPN
11:41am Sat 16 Aug 14

"Motorists have to veer around the islands, causing them to reduce their speed and drive more carefully. "

Money well spent, I'd say...

"Motorists have to veer around the islands, causing them to reduce their speed and drive more carefully. "
Money well spent, I'd say...RP_CPN

"Motorists have to veer around the islands, causing them to reduce their speed and drive more carefully. "

Money well spent, I'd say...

Score: 27

D Hoole
12:52pm Sat 16 Aug 14

@adrianshort
"The islands aren't moving towards you. You are moving towards them."
I love that image , and so true too !

@adrianshort
"The islands aren't moving towards you. You are moving towards them."
I love that image , and so true too !D Hoole

@adrianshort
"The islands aren't moving towards you. You are moving towards them."
I love that image , and so true too !

Score: 15

al the taxi
1:55pm Sat 16 Aug 14

the mini island by Woodstock rise is in the wrong place.when I travel from Woodstock lights to turn right into Woodstock rise,you have to go past island and turn into a tight space,so cars behind have to break sharply and also oncoming traffic cut slightly into that space.accident waiting to happen.

the mini island by Woodstock rise is in the wrong place.when I travel from Woodstock lights to turn right into Woodstock rise,you have to go past island and turn into a tight space,so cars behind have to break sharply and also oncoming traffic cut slightly into that space.accident waiting to happen.al the taxi

the mini island by Woodstock rise is in the wrong place.when I travel from Woodstock lights to turn right into Woodstock rise,you have to go past island and turn into a tight space,so cars behind have to break sharply and also oncoming traffic cut slightly into that space.accident waiting to happen.

Score: 2

PeterM
9:26pm Sat 16 Aug 14

Traffic Islands, such as these, are dangerous for cyclists, as they create pinch points. If you keep to the left, as many motorists think that cyclists should do, you'll have motor vehicles try and squeeze past you, sometimes hitting you and pushing you into the kerb. If you follow the correct advice and 'take the lane' you'll have vehicles sitting literally inches from your rear wheel, often the drivers sound their horn at you to move out of their way.

Whilst they might slow vehicles down and make it safer for pedestrians, islands make it worse for cyclists.

Traffic Islands, such as these, are dangerous for cyclists, as they create pinch points. If you keep to the left, as many motorists think that cyclists should do, you'll have motor vehicles try and squeeze past you, sometimes hitting you and pushing you into the kerb. If you follow the correct advice and 'take the lane' you'll have vehicles sitting literally inches from your rear wheel, often the drivers sound their horn at you to move out of their way.
Whilst they might slow vehicles down and make it safer for pedestrians, islands make it worse for cyclists.PeterM

Traffic Islands, such as these, are dangerous for cyclists, as they create pinch points. If you keep to the left, as many motorists think that cyclists should do, you'll have motor vehicles try and squeeze past you, sometimes hitting you and pushing you into the kerb. If you follow the correct advice and 'take the lane' you'll have vehicles sitting literally inches from your rear wheel, often the drivers sound their horn at you to move out of their way.

Whilst they might slow vehicles down and make it safer for pedestrians, islands make it worse for cyclists.

Score: 4

MrMark
1:39pm Mon 18 Aug 14

I am not a fan of the islands but they wouldn't be such a problem if there were not so many cars parked on the roadside! People have to pretty much drive in the middle of the road and then swerve to steer between parked cars and the islands and then back into the middle of the road..

I am not a fan of the islands but they wouldn't be such a problem if there were not so many cars parked on the roadside! People have to pretty much drive in the middle of the road and then swerve to steer between parked cars and the islands and then back into the middle of the road..MrMark

I am not a fan of the islands but they wouldn't be such a problem if there were not so many cars parked on the roadside! People have to pretty much drive in the middle of the road and then swerve to steer between parked cars and the islands and then back into the middle of the road..

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here